The average production time for agave is 6 years. By this time the plant has stored enough sugar to be harvested. In this stage of biological maturity, the plant would usually develop a fruit stand several metres high with flowers and seeds. In the wild, blooming agave plants depend on bats for pollination, which in turn rely on the nectar of the agave. Agaves and bats have developed a close evolutionary relationship. So much so that the timing of bat migration mirrors closely that of the agave blooming.
For economic reasons, however, agave producers today cut off or harvest the plant before flowering. Otherwise, the mother plant would die and not be usable. In addition, the genetic diversity of agave is diminishing: Mexican agave cultivation for the syrup and tequila industry is usually carried out in monocultures with a single species, the Agave tequilana, which is propagated vegetatively (genetic uniformity). By restricting genetic selection, the adaptability of the agave to environmental changes is diminishing.
With the new standard for agave cultivation, Naturland is following the guidelines for "Bat-friendly Tequila", which were co-developed by Prof. Medellín at the Instituto de Ecología, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In addition, several inspection bodies, a Mexican Naturland member and the Naturland World Advisory Board were consulted during the development of the new standard. It includes:
- Existing structural elements such as trees and hedgerows and areas with natural succession must be maintained and nurtured wherever agave is newly planted.
- Year-round soil coverage must be ensured.
- When agave is harvested, 3% respectively 5% of the plants must be left standing so that they can develop flower and seed heads, thus providing native bats and insects with a source of nourishment. The flowering plants must be distributed over the whole area of the plot and left standing at least until the seed heads have fully matured.
- Propagation from seeds and the diversity of the strains of agave should be encouraged.
For further details, refer to the updated Naturland standards of production (page 41).
